Stand By You
by AngelicaSparrow
Summary: What if Jack had never left Angelica after they met and she had been by his side throughout everything?
1. Chapter 1

_**Here it is, the first chapter of my new fic! Please R&R and enjoy! It's not dissimilar to There All Along, but this time he knows she is there so allows for a lot more script variation... yeah I'm gonna stop rambling now and let you read :D xxx**_

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><p>"Jack, once you are done posing would it be too much to ask for some help?"<br>He looked down at me from his position upon the mast. I had to admit, he looked dangerously handsome up there. But now was not the time for "posing", as I had called it. The boat was filling up with water and one person alone was not enough to empty it. Not that two people would really suffice either, but at least we would be able to keep it afloat a little longer.  
>"Sorry, love." He said, jumping down and picking up a bucket. "Just thought you were doing such a good job and didn't want to interfere." I raised an eyebrow at his excuse and got back to emptying the water over the side of the boat. A few moments later, I noticed Jack stand and followed his gaze. A large rock in the shape of an arch stood not far from us, and in the arch hung three skeletons, still clothed. <em>PIRATES YE BE WARNED<em>, the sign hanging next to them said. I stood up too and we both removed out hats, holding them to our chest and saluting the deceased.

Whilst we had stopped emptying the water to honour the dead, the water had not stopped coming in and so by the time we sat down again we realised there was no point trying to stop what was inevitable. Instead, we both climbed to the very highest point of the mast and held on to the flag pole. Thankfully there was a dock not too far, and amazingly the boat managed to make it there before it sunk completely. We stepped off the mast onto the wooden dock, which was level with said mast by the time we got there, and walked down it as if nothing unusual had just happened, ignoring the curious and confused glances people were giving us. Jack brushed past a man in a cream coloured coat who turned around.  
>"Hold up there, you!" he called after us. We turned and walked back to him. "It's a shilling to die up your boat to the dock." We all looked to where our boat was, the flag pole just poking up out of the water. "And I shall need to know your names." I was about to tell the man that, technically, we hadn't actually tied the boat up, when Jack reached into his pocket.<br>"What do you say to three shillings and we forget the name?" he grinned, laying three silver shillings on the man's open log book. He looked at us for a moment, and then realised that this was a good offer.  
>"Welcome to Port Royal, Mr and Mrs Smith." He smiled. Jack brought his hands together as you would do to pray, and then we all turned and continued on our way. As we walked past a black desk standing at the corner, Jack paused. He reached out and grabbed a small purse that had been left on it and shook it. Hearing that there was money in it, far more than the three shillings he had just given the harbourmaster, he pocketed it and we continued to walk away.<p>

As we got off the dock, we heard music playing from the large stone fort.  
>"Sounds like some special ceremony." I grinned. That would make our job here easier as most of the townsfolk would be in attendance.<br>"Aye." Jack returned my grin and we looked around, spying a large ship which we went towards. "This way." As we headed down a wooden ramp, two men cut in front of us. They were dressed in a uniform consisting of white breeches, a white shirt and a red jacket. A black hat completed the ensemble. I studied the two men. One was chubby and one was skinny, and both looked equally dim-witted. They reminded me a lot of two of our previous crew members, only of a higher class; Pintel and Ragetti. From the look Jack gave me, I knew he had seen the resemblance too. And if they were, in fact, anything like our former crew members, we would know exactly how to handle them.  
>"This dock is off limits to civilians." The skinny one informed us.<br>"I'm terribly sorry, I didn't know. If I see one, I shall inform you." Jack replied before moving to step around the men. They blocked our path again, though, and looked at us as menacingly as they could.  
>"Apparently there's some high-toned and fancy to-do at the fort, eh? How could it be that two upstanding gentlemen such as yourselves did not merit an invitation?" Jack was doing a good job of looking genuinely confused, although he had had a lot of practice of it over the years.<br>"Someone has to make sure this dock stays off limits to civilians." Skinny said.  
>"It's a fine goal, to be sure." Jack nodded. "But it seems to me, a ship like that," he gestured to a second ship further out to sea, "makes this one here a bit superfluous, really." The two men, who had moved in front of Jack as he went to gesture to the ship, looked at him. Skinny nodded.<br>"Oh the _Dauntless_ is the power in these waters, true enough. But there's no ship as can match the _Interceptor_ for speed."  
>Jack raised a finger to his chin.<br>"I've heard of one. Supposed to be very fast, nigh uncatchable." He glanced between them. "The _Black Pearl_."  
>Tubby started to laugh. "Well, there's no real ship as can match the <em>Interceptor<em>."  
>Skinny, meanwhile, had paled and looked at his companion.<br>"_Black Pearl_ is a real ship." He said.  
>Tubby looked at him and shook his head. "No. No, it's not."<br>"Yes it is. I've seen it!"  
>"You've seen it?"<br>"Yes."  
>"You haven't seen it!"<br>"Yes, I have."  
>Jack and I looked at each other and rolled our eyes. Definitely like Pintel and Ragetti, I decided.<br>"You've seen a ship with black sails, that's crewed by the damned and captained by a man so evil that Hell itself spat him back out?"  
>"No."<br>"No." Tubby repeated, and turned back to us. Skinny wasn't finished yet, though.  
>"But I have seen a ship with black sails."<br>"Oh. And no ship that's not crewed by the damned and captained by a man so evil that Hell itself spat him back out could possibly have black sails…"  
>I stopped listening here, as Jack nudged me and indicated towards the ship, the <em>Interceptor<em>, with his head. I nodded, and we walked away quietly, leaving the men to their debate.

We were on board the ship and standing by the helm by the time Tubby and Skinny realised.  
>"Hey! You two! Get away from there! You don't have permission to be aboard there, mates." Tubby called as he and Skinny climbed up to the helm, pointing their weapons at us.<br>"I'm sorry, it's just such a pretty boat."  
>"Ship." I corrected, quickly.<br>"What are your names?" Skinny asked.  
>"Smith! Or Smithy, if you like. And this is my wife." Jack introduced us.<br>"What's your purpose in Port Royal, 'Mr Smith'?" Tubby asked.  
>"Yeah, and no lies!" Skinny put in.<br>"All right then. I confess." Jack stepped away from the helm. "It is our intention to commandeer one of these ships, pick up a crew in Tortuga, raid, pillage, plunder and otherwise pilfer my weaselly black guts out." I bit back a smirk as he used my tried-and-tested method of lying by telling the truth.  
>"I said no lies!" Skinny moaned.<br>"I think he's telling the truth." Tubby muttered to him.  
>"If he were telling the truth, he wouldn't have told us." Skinny pointed out.<br>"Unless of course he knew you wouldn't believe the truth even if he told it to you." I suggested, smirking. They both frowned, and my smirk grew. Oh how I loved confusing people!  
>"If that be true, it is our duty to escort you to the prison for attempted piracy." Skinny informed us.<br>"Aye, but how do you know if it's true or not?" Jack grinned.  
>"Well… you look like pirates." Skinny began.<br>"And you're not from around here." Tubby put in quickly.  
>"And no one who is not from around here could possibly be anything other than a pirate?" I asked, still smirking. They both hesitated.<br>"Well… when you put it that way…" Skinny stuttered at last.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Woo this was a fun one to write :p **_  
>Pencil37 -<em> Nope this is neither before nor after There All Along, it's completely separate as There All Along was all 3 movies as if Jack had left her on the island him and Elizabeth got marooned on and she snuck aboard the Dauntless and then again when he was finding a crew and he didn't realise she was there until he was rescued from the Locker. In this he never left her and she is in all 3 movies with him and he knows she is there :)<em>  
>TakeMeToWonderland - <em>Thank you :)<br>**Please R&R and most importantly enjoy! Love to anyone who reviews xxx **_

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><p>"And then they made me their chief." Jack concluded his story, Skinny and Tubby listening intently. We heard a splash behind us and all turned. The water was white where something had just fallen in. Or some<em>one<em>, I realised, hearing a man shouting from the top of the fort. We all rushed to the side of the ship.  
>"Will you be saving her, then?" Jack asked Tubby.<br>"I can't swim!" Jack turned to Skinny, who shook his head.  
>"Pride of the King's Navy, you are!" Jack said sarcastically. "Do not lose these." He passed me his hat and then deposited his coat and effects in the arms of Skinny and Tubby. He hauled himself up onto the edge of the ship using one of the ropes and then dove, rather gracefully, into the water.<p>

Moments after he had done so, a large ripple seemed to run through the entire ocean. Skinny and Tubby looked at each other.  
>"What was that?" Skinny asked. Tubby shook his head and they both looked at me.<br>"Don't ask me." I shrugged. Then we all looked up. The ship's flag was now flying in completely the opposite direction. _An unnatural change in the wind._ Something about that made a chill run down my spine. I ignored it, though, and turned my attention back to the water just as Jack resurfaced, holding the young woman who had fallen. He started to swim back, but was dragged under again, no doubt by the weight of the girl's dress. I had never understood why women felt the need to wear such heavy dresses, not even before I became a pirate.  
>I took hold of a rope, ready to pull myself up to dive in and help Jack when he surfaced again. The girl was now wearing one less layer of clothing; Jack had removed the heavy dress.<br>"Come on." I ordered Skinny and Tubby, briefly noticing the dark clouds and mist that were rolling in as we ran to meet Jack and the girl.

We got to the dock just as Jack started to climb up, the girl over one shoulder. Skinny and Tubby put down Jack's effects and took her from him, lying her down on the wooden floor.  
>"She's not breathing!" Tubby panicked.<br>"Move!" Jack commanded, quickly bending down and using his dagger to cut through the laces of the corset the woman wore. As soon as it was removed, she spluttered and coughed. Jack passed the corset up to Skinny.  
>"I never would've thought of that." Tubby said, some hint of admiration for the quick thinking pirate in his voice.<br>"Clearly you've never been to Singapore." I told him, kneeling down as something around the girl's neck caught my eye. I reached out my hand and took hold of the shiny gold item. I nudged Jack, who slowly took it from me.  
>"Where did you get that?" He asked while she stared, her eyes widening slightly. She didn't get the chance to answer, for two swords were suddenly pointed at us.<br>"On your feet." A voice commanded us. We looked at the blades and then stood. An elaborately dressed man in a long, silly wig hurried to the girl.  
>"Elizabeth. Are you all right?" He asked, helping her up.<br>"Yes I'm fine." She answered quickly, tucking the medallion into her dress. The man, who I assumed was her father, saw the corset still in Skinny's hand. He hastily lowered it and pointed accusingly at Jack.  
>"Shoot him!" The father ordered.<br>"Father! Commodore, do you really intend to kill my rescuer?" She glanced at the man pointing a sword at Jack, who hesitated before nodding ever so slightly. Jack clasped his hands together, as he had done so to the harbourmaster, and nodded his thanks as the uniformed men lowered their weapons.  
>"I believe thanks are in order." The Commodore, also wearing a silly wig although not as long as the one the girl's father wore, extended his hand to Jack. I held my breath, willing him not to take it. He hesitated, but then he, too, extended his hand. The Commodore grabbed it and pulled it to him, rolling up Jack's sleeve to reveal the 'P' which he had been branded with a few years previously.<br>"Had a brush with the East India Trading Company, did we? Pirate?" Jack and I both cringed.  
>Elizabeth stared, shocked.<br>"Hang them!" Her father said, clearly realising that I was a pirate too, not that it took much working out.  
>"Keep your guns on them, men." The Commodore ordered. "Gilette, fetch some irons." He rolled Jack's sleeve up further. "Well, well. Jack Sparrow, isn't it?" He finally released Jack's arm.<br>"_Captain_ Jack Sparrow if you please, sir."  
>The Commodore looked around, frowning.<br>"Well I don't see your ship… 'Captain'." He mocked.  
>"We're in the market, as it were." Jack informed him<br>"He said they'd come to commanded one." Skinny told them.  
>"Told you he was telling the truth." Tubby said to his companion before bending down to pick up Jack's effects. "There are his, sir." He offered them to the Commodore who took them and inspected them one by one.<br>The pistol first. "No additional shot nor powder." _There's a reason for that_, I thought bitterly.  
>The compass. "A compass that doesn't point north." <em>Unless you're trying to find north!<em>  
>And the dagger. "And I half expected it to be made of wood." He grinned. "You are without doubt the worst pirate I've ever heard of!"<br>Jack raised his hands. "But you have heard of me." He grinned, and I couldn't hide the grin that made its way onto my own face. As long as Jack had been heard of, he didn't care how.

The Commodore suddenly grabbed hold of Jack, one of his men grabbing hold of me before I could move away.  
>"Commodore, I really must protest." Elizabeth said, marching after us. "Pirate or not, this man saved my life!"<br>"One good deed is not enough to redeem a man of a lifetime of wickedness."  
>"Though it seems enough to condemn him." I put in, raising an eyebrow. The Commodore turned to glare at me.<br>"Indeed." He said, bluntly. He turned back to look at Elizabeth who was still standing between him and Jack, glaring at him. As the man putting Jack's hands in irons stepped away, Jack grinned.  
>"Finally." He said, putting his hands over Elizabeth's head and pulling her back slightly with the chains. Everyone gasped, save for me. I didn't need Jack to tell me what he was planning, I knew him too well. They wouldn't shoot with the girl in the way for fear of hitting her. Just as I thought that, the girl's father was already telling the men not to shoot, his voice panicked.<br>"I knew you'd warm up to me." Jack smirked. "Commodore Norrington, my effects, please." He ordered. "And my hat." He added, quickly. When there was no response, he frowned. "Commodore!"  
>The Commodore turned reluctantly to Tubby who handed him the effects.<br>"It is Elizabeth, isn't it?"  
>"It's Miss Swann." The girl answered coldly, her whole demeanour refusing to show the fear she no doubt felt.<br>"Miss Swann, if you'd be so kind." The girl did not move. "Come, come, dear, we don't have all day."  
>The Commodore stepped forwards and put Jack's effects in the girl's arms. Jack took his pistol and span her round to face him, pointing the pistol at her head.<br>"Now if you'll be very kind." He said to her. He smirked at the Commodore as the girl put his effects on for him. It was obvious why; the Commodore was in love with the girl.  
>"You're despicable." The girl spat once she had done her job.<br>"Sticks and stones, love. I saved your life, you saved mine. We're square." Jack told her, before spinning her round again so that she faced the crowd once more.  
>"Gentlemen, my lady." He announced, backing up. The men followed, slowly. "You will always remember this as the day that you almost caught… Captain Jack Sparrow." He released the girl and pushed her towards the men who rushed to catch her. The man who had been holding me moved forwards too, forgetting about me in the panic. I took a few steps back and glanced up to where Jack was now spinning around on some wooden object.<br>"Now will you shoot him? The girl's father asked.  
>"Open fire!" The Commodore ordered. Shots were fired up, but Jack landed on another wooden object and used his chains to slide down a rope into the main town. "On his heels!" The men raced forwards. I was forgotten about now, and I followed them quickly into the town where I slipped into the streets.<p>

Before long I reached a building with a sign hanging up. On the sign was a picture of an anvil. A _blacksmith's!_ I grinned and quickly hid behind a statue that was by the doorway. As I heard footsteps running, I peeked out and saw Jack. The navy men would not be far behind him, so I grabbed hold of him and pulled him behind the statue. Sure enough, moments later the men were running around. Once they had passed, we entered the building.

Inside, we looked around. It seemed to be empty. We made our way to a bench where a variety of tools were laid out. Jack put his hat down as he picked up a hammer, then turned as we heard a bottle drop. In the far corner, a man seemed to be sleeping. Jack walked over and prodded the man's chest. No response. He went to turn away, then turned back quickly.  
>"Woah!" He shouted. Still no response. Jack grinned at me and set to work, attempting to break the chains with the hammer he had picked up. He only managed to dent them, though. Then he saw a rotating device and removed a hot iron rod from the furnace. He touched the donkey, who was attached to the device, on the rump with it and said donkey squealed and started to move, the device also moving. Jack reached up and hooked the chains into the device and at last they broke. He didn't have time to feel relieved, though, for there was a noise at the door. Someone was coming in!<p>

We darted away and hid as a young man walked in. He observed the scene and rushed to the donkey, calming it. Then he walked over to the sleeping man.  
>"Right where I left you." He sighed. Then he saw his hammer. "Not where I left you." He frowned, then looked up to where it should have been and noticed Jack's hat. He reached out to pick it up, but before he could touch it Jack had brought the flat side of his sword down on the lad's hand. The lad backed away quickly as Jack pointed the sword at him.<br>"You're the ones they're hunting." He said, noticing me standing not far behind Jack. "The pirates!"  
>"You seem somewhat familiar. Have I threatened you before?" Jack asked, and I frowned realising that there was indeed some sort of familiarity about the lad's face.<br>"I make a point of avoiding familiarity with pirates." The lad said, bluntly.  
>"Well then it would be a shame to put a black mark on your record." I told him. Jack nodded in agreement.<br>"Aye. So, if you'll excuse us." He said. As Jack turned to get his hat, the lad quickly took a sword from a rack of them. He pointed it at Jack. "Do you think this wise, boy? Crossing blades with a pirate?" Jack said, darkly.  
>"You threatened Miss Swann." The lad reminded him.<br>"Only a little."  
>Then their swords banged together. I was tempted to draw my own, but figured that Jack could handle the situation so that we could leave. They sparred for a few moments, then Jack lowered his sword.<br>"You know what you're doing, I'll give you that. Excellent form." Jack complimented. "But how's your footwork? If I step here…" He stepped, and the lad mirrored his actions. I grinned, realising what Jack was up to. He was trying to shape this into a lesson. Their swords rang out again. "Very good." Jack approved. "And now I step again." He had figured it out perfectly, and ended up nearest the door. He grinned and nodded, sheathing his sword. "Ta." I followed him to the door, but before we could open it, the lad had thrown his sword and it had embedded itself in the wood, barring the way out. Jack tried to remove it, but it was stuck fast.  
>"That is a wonderful trick." He said, turning around. "Except, once again, you are between us and our way out. And now… you have no weapon." He drew his sword again, smirking. The lad turned around quickly, drawing a sword out from the furnace, its blade glowing red hot. As their swords met, sparks flew. Then Jack put his chains to good use, using them to hook the sword and get it away from the lad's hands. The lad quickly got another sword.<br>"Who makes all these?" Jack asked him.  
>"I do. And I practice with them three hours a day."<br>"You need to find yourself a girl, mate." Jack told him. I rolled my eyes. Of course Jack would suggest finding a girl rather than getting some other, more worthwhile hobby. "Or, perhaps the reason you practice three hours a day is that you have already found one and are otherwise incapable of wooing said strumpet. You're not a eunuch, are you?" Jack continued, glancing down.  
>"I practice three hours a day so that when I meet a pirate, I can kill him!" the lad yelled.<br>They had been fighting the whole time and now were balanced on a large piece of wood set between two large wheels. It was unstable and moved up and down as they sparred. Jack's chains caught on the lad's sword, who quickly stabbed his sword into the wooden beams above. As Jack tried to free himself, the lad picked up another sword and stood on the end of the wobbly wooden wheeled thing. Just then, Jack got free and dropped onto the raised end of the platform, throwing the lad up onto the beams. The lad cut a rope, dropping a net full of barrels onto the platform which then threw Jack up onto the beams.

The fought up there for a while, jumping from beam to beam until the lad knocked Jack's sword from his hand. Jack jumped down from the beams, the lad doing the same. As the lad advanced towards him, Jack grabbed a sack which hung near the furnace and emptied a load of dust into the lad's face. He turned away, spluttering, and by the time he looked back up Jack had his pistol pointing at him.  
>"You cheated."<br>"Pirate." Jack said, simply. I smirked, moving round to stand beside him. That was always a pirate's best excuse for doing something they shouldn't; no one ever questioned it.

Just then, a noise at the wooden doors made us look round. The navy men had found us. The lad moved round so that he was in between us and the back exit.  
>"Move away!" Jack ordered.<br>"No."  
>"Please move!" Jack pleaded.<br>"No! I cannot just step aside and let you escape." Jack's opened the barrel.  
>"This shot is not meant for you." He said, but before he could pull the trigger there was a smash of glass and he fell to the floor. I turned to see the sleeping man awake, holding the remains of the broken bottle.<br>"You bastard!" I growled at him, bending down to check Jack wasn't too seriously harmed.

Suddenly the doors burst open and the navy men piled in, two of them grabbing me by the arms and pulling me away from Jack whilst the others pointed their weapons at his unconscious form.  
>"Excellent work, Mr Brown. You've assisted in the capture of some dangerous fugitives." The Commodore praised the man who had been sleeping.<br>"Just doing my civic duty, sir." The man slurred, clearly very drunk. I snuck a glance at the lad, who rolled his eyes but did not speak up. He knew his place.  
>"Well I trust that you will always remember this as the day that Captain Jack Sparrow <em>almost<em> escaped." The Commodore said. He glanced over at me. "Take them away." He ordered, and I realised that resistance would be futile as I was pulled away to the cells, Jack being carried behind me.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Sorry for the wait, I'm not letting myself get how I did with There All Along this time, I am being extra picky about chapters and trying to get them as good as I can. A bit annoyed with this one, I really wish I had got more description into it but that's probably my weakness when I'm writing :/ Am going to be trying to get more in from now on though. Thank you to all reviewers of the last chapter!  
><em>**TakeMeToWonderland - _Thank you :) It is going to be based upon the movies, but obviously there will be no Sparrabeth stuff as Jack is pretty loved up already, and also got a few little bits of my own to add in/change. Will follow the basic plot just with different things happening.  
><em>Captain Angelica - _Thank you :) Yeah you sort of know what happens next but as I said above, I do have plans to change and add in some minor plot twists etc so it may not all be as you'd think. I hope my main twist will be well received, I don't know anyone who has done it yet so fingers crossed it is a surprise and people like it!  
><em>IMissYellow_ - Thank you :)  
><strong>Yeah I've rambled a bit in this AN but now on to the story :) Enjoy, and R&amp;R xxx <strong>_

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><p>"Why don't you come over 'ere Miss?"<br>I rolled my eyes as the men in the cell next to mine and Jack's continued to call, whistle and otherwise attempt to coax me over to them. I was sitting in a corner, my back against the wall whilst Jack lay in the middle of the cell, still unconscious. I hoped he would wake up soon so we could find some way out of this cell.  
>"Come on, Miss!" One of the men called again. I was about to open my mouth to give a snappy retort when someone beat me to it.<br>"Leave 'er alone you dirty gits! And get your filthy hands back in your own cell unless you want them removed!"  
>A grin came to my face as Jack growled his words at the men and I made my way over to him.<br>"What happened, Angel?" He asked as he sat up.  
>"They caught us. Obviously. Stupid drunken blacksmith had to wake up and smash a bottle over your head didn't he?"<br>"That bastard."  
>"That's what I said." We both laughed slightly, and then silenced. "Jack?"<br>"Mm?"  
>"How are we going to get out of here?" He looked around, then shook his head.<br>"We can't. At least not tonight." He cast a quick glance at the men in the next cell who had started to call the guard dog to them, hoping to get the keys from him. Then he looked back at me and lowered his voice. "In the morning, when they come for us. That's the best chance we've got."  
>"That's a sad commentary in and of itself." I sighed.<br>"Aye, that it is."

"Come 'ere, boy. Come 'ere."  
>"Who wants a nice juicy bone?"<br>"Come 'ere, boy!"  
>I rolled my eyes as the men continued to beg to the dog, who hadn't moved since they began. It was dark now, so Lord knows how long they had been going for.<br>"You can keep doing that forever, the dog is never going to move." Jack said at last, as fed up as I was of their persistent calling.  
>"Oh excuse us if we haven't resigned ourselves to the gallows just yet." One of them retorted. Jack and I looked at each other, shaking our heads. Did they <em>really<em> think we _had_ resigned ourselves to the gallows? Ok so we knew that there was a good chance this may not turn out well for us, but that didn't mean we were going to just let it happen. Jack was right, though. There wasn't anything we could do until they came for us in the morning, and so we were sitting on a ledge at the back of the cell, eyes closed, Jack's arm draped around me as I leaned back against him. All we could do now was conserve our energy for the morning.

My eyes snapped open as my ears picked up the sound of cannon fire.  
>"I know those guns." Jack said, gently pushing me away so he could stand up and look out of the small cell window. I knew them too.<br>"It's the _Pearl_." I said softly, standing up beside Jack. The window looked down into the harbour, and there sat the _Black Pearl_ herself, her cannons flashing as she fired at the town.  
>"The <em>Black Pearl<em>?" one of the men in the next cell asked, coming over to the bars that separated our cells once more. "I've heard stories. She's been preying on ships and settlements for near ten years." He looked around at his companions, who had also left the front of the cell to join him. "Never leaves any survivors." He finished, nervously.  
>"No survivors?" I glanced back at them, one eyebrow raised. "Then where do the stories come from, I wonder?" I smirked as they looked between each other, confused. Jack and I grinned at each other, and returned to watching the ship. <em>Our<em> ship. The longboats were lowered and our old, mutinous crew quickly climbed into them, rowing towards the town.

The screams and shouts of the townsfolk were only vaguely audible above the sound of the cannons and explosions. At the top of the fort, the Navy and the Commodore were firing back at the _Pearl_, but we knew it was no use. They wouldn't manage to hit her from that distance, it was too great. The only reason she was able to hit the town was due to the incredible power of her cannons, unmatched by any others. And hit the town she had; bright orange flames flickered everywhere we looked.

Suddenly, Jack grabbed me and pulled me to the ground, just as the wall of the cell next to ours was hit. We looked up to see the men in the cell leaving through the hole that had been created.  
>"My sympathies, friends. You've no manner of luck at all." One of them said to us, before he left through the hole.<br>"Well… maybe a little!" One of his companions stopped, looking hungrily at me. I just glared at him in disgust until he, too, left his cell. Jack rose to his feet and went to look through the part of the hole that was in the wall of our cell.  
>"Bugger. Couldn't even fit a leg through there." He grumbled, then turned and walked to the front of the cell, reaching his arm through to pick up the bone the others had discarded.<br>"Come on, doggy!" he whistled. "It's just you and us now. It's you, Angelica and ol' Jack. Come on. Come on, good boy. Get your bone! That's a good boy, come on. Bit closer, bit closer! That's it, doggy!" To my amazement, the dog had actually come over and was now just out of Jack's reach. "Come on, you filth, slimy, mangy character!" Jack's patience finally caved. Just then, there was a noise at the top of the stairs. The dog looked round, whimpered and ran off. "No no no no no! I didn't mean it!" Jack called after it.  
>"Jack!" I hissed, nudging him.<br>"What?" he moaned, sulking. I nodded my head in the direction of the stairs, just as the Navy man who was on guard fell down the stairs. Dead. He was followed by two men, who I instantly recognised as Twigg and Koehler.  
>"This ain't the armoury!" Twigg told Koehler, but he was too busy staring at us to respond.<br>"Well, well, well." He said, sheathing his sword as he walked towards us. "Look what we have here, Twigg. Captains Jack Sparrow and Angelica Malon!" He spat on the floor in front of us.  
>"Last time I saw you two, you were all alone on a godforsaken island, shrinking into the distance." Twigg sneered, joining Koehler in front of our cell.<br>"Technically, if we were together we weren't 'all alone'" I raised an eyebrow, and Jack looked at me, smirking.  
>"Their fortunes aren't improved much." Twigg continued, completely ignoring my words save for a glare.<br>"Worry about your own fortunes, gentlemen." Jack continued to smirk. "The deepest circle of Hell is reserved for betrayers and mutineers." Koehler's eyes darkened and he growled at us, pushing his hand through the bars to grab hold of Jack's throat. Both mine and Jack's eyes widened. Where the moonlight streaming through the cell window touched Koehler's arm, the flesh disappeared so that it was purely skeletal.  
>"So there is a curse." I muttered. The cursed mutineers glared at me.<br>"That's interesting." Jack nodded.  
>"You know nothing of Hell." Koehler hissed, then released Jack's throat with a shove, withdrawing his arm. We were silent as the pair left, and once they had, Jack picked up the bone he had been using to tempt the dog and stared at it.<br>"That's very interesting." Beside him, I nodded slowly.  
>"Aye, and it's no coincidence that they are here." I said softly. He looked at me. "The girl."<br>"Aye. The girl. No doubting it, they need that medallion." He nodded. "But it's not her blood. Miss _Swann_, her name was. William's last name was Turner, and I'm sure he had a son."  
>"Aye, he did. The lad can't be too far, though, for the girl to have come into possession of the medallion in the first place. She doesn't seem the type to steal." I said, and Jack nodded thoughtfully.<br>"If we can find the kid, we can get our ship back." He looked at the bars of the cell, frowning. "But first, we need to get out of here!"


	4. Chapter 4

_**Thank you to all reviewers of my last chapter :)**_  
>TakeMeToWonderland - <em>Thank you :) Have a full plan for my twist and how I'm gonna develop it, very much looking forward to bringing it in!<br>_Umeko - _Thanks :) There's not really going to be much "sparrabeth" as he is pretty loved up with Angelica, but may be a few snippets of it, not quite sure yet really  
><em>IMissYellow - _Thanks :) Yeah I definitely think Angelica is more for joining in than watching, but some of these earlier chapters are a bit harder to get her doing stuff in. Thinking it will be easier in the later chapters though :)_  
>Captain Angelica - <em>Yeah haha she's a toughie!<br>_Shawns-Lady-Forever - _Thank you :) Definitely will be finishing it! I enjoy writing it as much as I hope people do reading it!  
><em>Rosealyn 'Flinx' Roth - _Thank you :)  
><strong>Please enjoy this new chapter, and r&amp;r - reviews make me happy! :D xxx <strong>_

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><p>Neither of us slept well that night, I woke up more times than I can remember and, each time I did, Jack was awake too. I understood why, though; there was too much to think about. It was a relief when we finally woke to see that it was light outside. At least we could do something now. Although, judging by the state of the town as I looked out of the window, they wouldn't bother with us today.<p>

"You alright, love?" Jack asked, coming to stand next to me by the window. I sighed.  
>"I just hope we <em>can<em> get out of here. Alive."  
>"We will, love. You're forgetting our advantage." I looked at him curiously and he grinned. "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow!" I laughed, shaking my head and rolling my eyes.<br>"Unfortunately, _Captain_, that may be working to our disadvantage this time around." He sighed, his grin fading as he realised I was right.  
>"Sorry about all this, love."<br>"It's not your fault." He raised one eyebrow and I laughed slightly. "Ok, well maybe it is."  
>"I should never have rescued the lass."<br>"That wasn't the mistake." I sighed, shaking my head ever so slightly. "The mistake was shaking that wig-wearing Commodore's hand." I spat out the words 'wig-wearing Commodore', my eyes darkening in hatred for the man who had sent us here.  
>"Aye, I shouldn't have done that." He sighed. "But I'm getting us out of here!" He grinned, and held up the bone which had been narrowed at one end.<br>"What the… When did you do that?"  
>"I slept worse than you, love. Kept myself busy by filing it down on the metal bars." I laughed. Only Jack could think of something like that!<p>

"Come on. Please!" Jack whispered as he fiddled with the bone, the narrow end stuck in the lock. I was sat on the same ledge we had been sat on the previous night, gazing out through the hole in the wall. I looked round at the sound of the prison door opening and resisted the urge to laugh as Jack moved away quickly and lay on the floor in the middle of the cell as if he hadn't just been trying to escape. Footsteps ran quickly down the steps, and then the person they belonged to appeared. It was the blacksmith Jack had fought the day before.  
>"You! Sparrow!"<br>"Aye?" Jack raised his head.  
>"You are familiar with that ship, the <em>Black Pearl<em>?"  
>"I've heard of it." Jack confirmed, laying his head back down.<br>"Where does it make berth?"  
>"Where does it make berth? Have you not heard the stories?" Jack raised his head again. When the lad stared blankly, I sighed.<br>"Captain Barbossa and his crew of miscreants sail from the dreaded Isla de Muerta." I told the lad. Jack nodded.  
>"It's an island that cannot be found, except by those who already know where it is." He continued, grinning.<br>"The ship's real enough, therefore its anchorage must be a real place. Where is it?" I frowned. There was no missing the desperation in the lad's voice, and I couldn't help wondering why. Most people, pirates included, did their best to stay away from the _Pearl_ and it's cursed crew, not go looking for them.  
>"Why ask me?" Jack asked, studying his hand. I knew he would be as curious as I was, but to someone that didn't know us we were surprisingly adept as disguising our emotions.<br>"Because you're a pirate." The lad replied.  
>"And you want to turn pirate yourself, is that it?" I asked.<br>"Never!" He spat, and I rolled my eyes at the fierceness in his retort, turning my head to look back out of the hole. "They took Miss Swann."  
>"Oh! So it is that you found a girl! I see!" I heard Jack say. "Well if you're intending to brave all, hasten to her rescue and so win fair lady's heart, you'll have to do it alone, mate. I see no profit in it for us."<br>"I can get you out of here." I turned as the words were spoken by the lad, new hope inside me.  
>"How's that? The key's run off." Jack asked.<br>"I helped build these cells. There are half-pin barrel hinges." He turned and picked up a bench. "With the right leverage, and the proper application of strength, the door will lift free."  
>"What's your name?" Jack looked at him.<br>"Will Turner." The lad replied, his tone of voice suggesting that he was wondering why this was important when he had just offered us freedom. I managed to stop my eyes widening. So _that_ was why the lad looked so familiar! For a split second, Jack's eyes flickered over to meet mine.  
>"That would be short for William, I Imagine. Good, strong name." Jack continued. "No doubt named for your father, eh?"<br>"Yes…" Young Turner frowned.  
>"Uh huh…" Jack paused thoughtfully. "Well Mr Turner, I've changed me mind." He stood, and I did likewise. "If you spring us from this cell, I swear, on pain of death, we shall take you to the <em>Black Pearl<em> and your bonny lass. Do we have an accord?" He stuck his hand through the cell. The Turner kid was still frowning, but reached out and shook Jack's hand.  
>"Agreed."<br>"Agreed! Get us out!" Jack grinned, and the lad pushed down on the bench, which he had hooked into the bars, and lifted the door free. It fell to the ground with a loud clang.  
>"Hurry, someone will have heard that!" The lad said as we left the cell.<br>"Not without our effects!" Jack said as we both went over to the wall where our weapons and coats had been hung.  
>"Why bother with that?" The lad asked, as Jack picked up his pistol. "You could have escaped if you'd killed me before but you weren't willing to use it."<br>"Are you advising me that was a mistake?" Jack frowned, raising his pistol to point at the lad, who tensed just as we knew he would. "When you've only got one shot, it's best to wait for the opportune moment. That wasn't it. Nor is this." Jack lowered the pistol again, and I noticed the lad release the breath he had been holding.  
>"Come on, then." I spoke up, wanting to diffuse the tension almost as much as I wanted to get away from the prison before anyone came for us.<p>

We ran quickly through the town, somehow managing to avoid detection by the many people milling about, and finally stopped under a bridge, looking out at both the ship we had boarded yesterday, the _Interceptor_, and the one that was further out to sea.  
>"We're going to steal the ship?" The lad asked us. "That ship?" He followed Jack's gaze to the <em>Dauntless<em>. A smirk played at my mouth as I realised Jack's plan.  
>"Commandeer." I corrected, with a quick glance back at him. "Nautical term."<br>"Aye. We're going to commandeer _that_ ship." Jack pointed at the _Interceptor_. "One question about your business, boy, or there's no use going." Jack turned to face him. "This girl, how far are you willing to go to save her?"  
>"I'd die for her." The lad spat back, not missing a beat.<br>"Oh good." Jack turned away, his tone of voice not in the slightest as though he had just asked such a serious question.  
>"No worries then." I whispered to him, and he grinned. We watched the Navy men as they moved around, waiting for the coast to be clear. When it was, we walked quickly over to an upturned longboat and hid under it. Once there, we heard a few Navy men jog past us and then, once we were sure they had gone, we lifted the boat and carried it into the water. Having it covering our heads meant that we were able to walk along the sea bed whilst still being able to breathe.<br>"This is either madness, or brilliance." The Turner lad said, as we walked.  
>"It's remarkable how often those two traits coincide." Jack told him, and I nodded, laughing slightly.<br>"Especially when it comes to _your_ ideas, right Jack?" He turned to look at me, flashing me one of his trademark grins. Then his gaze moved past me and he raised an eyebrow. I turned around to look at the lad, who had just stepped in a lobster pot. I laughed again, and rolled my eyes as he tried to shake it off.  
>"No! We can use that!" Jack said quickly, and I frowned, for once not sure what he was getting at.<p>

Once we reached the _Dauntless,_ however, I realised that it was actually pretty clever. Jack hooked the lobster pot onto the bottom of the ship and then threw the rope attached to it up so that it lashed onto the railings further up. We climbed up the rope and then swung ourselves quietly on board. No one was up near the helm, but we crept quietly round and noticed them all standing on the main deck.  
>"Everyone stay calm! We're taking over the ship." Jack announced as he walked down the steps. The Turner lad followed, leaping over the railings and pointed his sword at the Navy men, who had turned to stare at us.<br>"Aye! Avast!" He cried. Jack and I turned to look at him and then at each other, rolling our eyes and shaking our heads as the Navy men laughed. I grabbed hold of the lad's arm and pulled him to one side.  
>"What did Jack just say?" I hissed.<br>"Stay calm?" The lad replied, sheepishly. I nodded.  
>"Well perhaps you could try and do that, then, eh?" I let go of his arm and walked back to Jack's side.<br>"This ship cannot be crewed by two men and a woman. You'll never make it out of the bay." A man wearing a silly wig said, trying not to laugh. Jack just smirked and stepped forwards.  
>"Son… I'm Captain Jack Sparrow." He raised the pistol to point it at the man's head. "Savvy?" I smirked as the crew started backing up and piling into a longboat, the wig-wearing man following.<p>

Once it was just the three of us aboard, we started acting as though we were preparing the ship to sail away, knowing that they would be coming after us on the ship we actually wanted. Whilst the lad continued pulling on various ropes, Jack and I disabled the rudder chain and then made our way back up to the helm. After a short while, the lad ran up to us.  
>"Here they come." He said. We looked over our shoulders and grinned.<br>"Perfect." I whispered. Quickly, we ran down the steps and to the other side of the ship, keeping down low so that they would not see us as we swung over. Once the _Interceptor_ had been left empty, we each grabbed hold of a rope and swung ourselves over. The lad and I hastily cut the ropes still attached to the _Dauntless_ whilst Jack went up to the helm and set sail. We laughed as we heard the Commodore order his crew back to the_ Interceptor_, and even more so as the man that tried to swing over fell into the water behind us.  
>"Thank you, Commodore, for getting us ready to make way." Jack waved his hat at the man. "We'd have had a hard time by ourselves." He was laughing as he turned away from them, placing his hat back on his head and putting his arm around my shoulder, pulling me close and dropping a quick kiss upon my forehead.<br>"Well done, Jack." I said, softly.

It didn't take long for us to leave Port Royal and the _Dauntless_ far behind; the ship was fast and the wind was on our side.  
>"When I was a lad living in England, my mother raised me by herself." The lad was saying as he sharpened his sword. "After she died, I came out here, looking for my father."<br>"Is that so?" Jack asked, uninterested as he walked back up to the helm where I was in control of the wheel.  
>"My father, Bill Turner?" The lad rose to his feet, following Jack. "At the jail it was only after you learned my name that you agreed to help. Since that's what I wanted, I didn't press the matter. I'm not a simpleton, Jack. You knew my father." Jack sighed, knowing the lad wasn't going to let this drop. He stood up from where he had been tightening a rope and turned to look at the lad.<br>"We knew him. Probably two of the few who knew him as William Turner. Everyone else just called him 'Bootstrap' or 'Bootstrap Bill'." Jack walked past him and took the wheel from me. I moved to the prow of the ship. Normally I would have leaned against it, but on the Navy ships it was not high enough and so I simply sat upon it, removing my hat to fully enjoy the refreshing feeling of the wind in my face.  
>"Bootstrap?" The lad repeated, looking questioningly at me. I shrugged, I didn't think there was really any logic behind the name. Not whilst the man was alive, anyhow.<br>"Good man. Good Pirate." Jack continued.  
>"Aye." I nodded, solemnly. William had been the only one aboard the <em>Pearl<em> who hadn't been pleased when Barbossa mutinied against us, and his ongoing resistance to our former first mate was what had eventually led to his death.  
>"I swear, you look just like him." Jack turned to look at the lad, who was frowning.<br>"It's not true. He was a merchant sailor. A good respectable man who obeyed the law." I rolled my eyes, and noticed Jack do the same before he turned around to the lad.  
>"He was a bloody pirate, a scallyway." Jack told him, looking away again.<br>"My father was not a pirate!" The lad said, fiercely, and I shook my head, sighing, as he drew his sword and pointed it at Jack.  
>"Put it away, lad. It's not worth you getting beat again." I told him, as gently as I could.<br>"He didn't beat me." The lad glanced at me. "He ignored the rules of engagement. In a fair fight, I'd kill him."  
>"Then that's not much incentive for me to fight fair, then, is it?" Jack pulled the wheel so that the boom swung out. I ducked my head to avoid it, but the lad didn't notice and was left hanging over the water from it, his sword having been dropped to the ground. I bent down and picked it up, throwing it to Jack who deftly caught it and pointed it at the lad. "Now as long as you're just hanging there, pay attention. The only rules that really matter are these: what a man can do and what a man can't do. For instance, you can accept that your father was a pirate and a good man, or you can't. But pirate is in your blood, boy, so you'll have to square with that someday. Now me, for example, I can let you drown. But Angelica and I can't bring this ship into Tortuga all by ourselves, savvy? So." He swung the boom back in, and I ducked once more. The lad fell to the ground with a thud. "Can you sail under the command of a pirate?" Jack pointed the blade of the sword at him, and then flipped it so that the handle was being offered to the lad instead. "Or can you not?" The lad looked up and hesitantly took his sword back.<br>"Tortuga?" he asked, and Jack nodded, grinning.  
>"Tortuga."<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

_**Sorry it's taken long, been on holiday :) Thank you to people who reviewed the last chapter:**_  
>Rosealyn 'Flinx' Roth -<em> Yeah haha I'm very much looking forward to bringing in my little plot twist (if I'm right, I think next chapter or the one after it will first come in? :D )<em>  
>TakeMeToWonderland - <em>Thank you :) Plot twist coming soooooon :D<em>  
>Umeko - <em>Yeah Will strikes me as only having eyes for Elizabeth really, so not seeing any Willelica or whatever you want to call it :p<em>  
>IMissYellow - <em>Thank you :)<em>  
>Shawns-Lady-Forever - <em>Thanks :) Won't be leaving it so long between updates this time!<em>  
><em><strong>Enjoy, R&amp;R :) <strong>_

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><p>It was dusk by the time we reached Tortuga, the lights within the town already glowing brightly. We anchored the <em>Interceptor<em> a little way out to sea and then lowered one of the longboats, Jack using the oars to row us to shore. Already, we could hear the smashing glass and gunshots that were so typical here in the evening.  
>"Welcome to Tortuga." I said, dryly, as we got out of the longboat. The lad was looking around with a somewhat shocked expression on his face.<br>"It's a bit different to Port Royal." He said at last, seeming to find no better words to describe the place.  
>"Aye, and it is full of opportunity." Jack joined us after tying up the longboat to the dock and we all began to walk through the town. "More importantly, it is indeed a sad life that has never breathed deep the sweet, proliferous bouquet that is Tortuga. Savvy? What do you think?"<br>"It'll linger." The lad said, and I laughed. In time, he would grow accustomed to the smell, as all pirates did.  
>"I'll tell you, mate, if every town were like this one, no man would ever feel unwanted."<br>"Scarlett." Jack whispered, and I looked up to see a woman wearing a red dress with matching red hair and lips storming towards us. Jack reluctantly moved forwards to greet her, only to receive a sharp slap across his face from the woman, who immediately turned and left. "Not sure I deserved that." Jack frowned at Will. As he turned back round, the red woman's place had been taken by a blonde with a yellow dress, wearing sarcastic smirk on her face. "Giselle."  
>"Who was she?" The woman asked, although it was obvious she already knew.<br>"What?" Jack asked, feigning innocence. The words had hardly been spoken when he received another slap and the woman stalked away. "I may have deserved that." Jack admitted, turning to look at Will. Then he caught a glimpse of me, standing with my hands on my hips, eyebrows raised and lips pursed.  
>"Who were they?" I demanded. He laughed, clearly thinking I was joking. When he realised I was being serious, his laugh turned into a cough and he turned away quickly.<br>"Shall we?" He asked, walking on without waiting for an answer. "We should escape this wretched pit as quickly as possible." I rolled my eyes at this sudden change of mind, undoubtedly brought about by his reunion with the wenches.  
>"With a crew." Will reminded him.<br>"Ah yes." Jack nodded. "Well it just so happens, that you know the man, who knows the man who knows the finest sailors in all Tortuga."  
>"Gibbs?" I asked, a smile finding its way onto my face, replacing the frown I still wore.<br>"Aye." Jack grinned, and my own smile widened. Gibbs was a good man and had been a loyal friend to Jack and I for many years.

We found Gibbs asleep in a pigpen.  
>"Wait here." Jack whispered, a smirk on his face as he crept away. He returned a moment later, this time with a bucket of water in his hand. He threw the contents of the bucket upon the sleeping old man, who immediately woke up.<br>"Curse you for breathing, you slack-jawed idiot!" Gibbs spluttered as he sat up, pointing a knife at us. We started at him silently, Jack and I both smirking, then recognition crossed his face. He put the knife back down. "Mother's love! Jack! Angelica!" He grinned, and then frowned. "You twos should know better than to wake a man when he's sleepin'. It's bad luck."  
>"Ah, fortunately, I know how to counter it." Jack walked towards him, crouching down just in front of him. "The man who did the waking buys the man who was sleeping a drink. The man who was sleeping drinks it while listening to a proposition from the man who did the waking." Gibbs contemplated this for a moment, and then his grin returned.<br>"Aye, that'll about do it." He agreed, and Jack stood up before taking Gibbs' hand to help him to his feet. As Jack stepped back, a second bucket of water had its contents thrown over Gibbs. "Blast! I'm already awake!" He roared, as I looked quickly to my side to see Will holding a bucket. I frowned. I hadn't even heard him walk away!  
>"That was for the smell." He told Gibbs simply, and I felt my frown turning to a grin suppressing laughter as I looked from him to Gibbs, who shrugged as he realised that sleeping with pigs probably didn't leave a very good aroma about him.<p>

Having been reunited with Gibbs, we made our way to the tavern known as the _Faithful Bride. _I had never quite understood why it would have this name, unless it was for reasons of irony; in Tortuga, it was very rare for any woman to be faithful to one man. And vice versa. Inside, Gibbs and I headed over to a table in the corner whilst Jack went to get us drinks. Will stood awkwardly by a post, not far from our table, glancing nervously around at the brawling men. As Jack came back, I saw him pause by the lad and say something quietly to him before he joined Gibbs and I at the table, passing us our drinks.  
>"Just the one." Jack told us.<br>"Best make it last then, eh?" We all took a sip, then placed the mugs down on the wooden surface. "Now, what's the nature of this venture of your'n?" Gibbs asked, keeping his voice low.  
>"We're going after the <em>Black Pearl<em>." Jack told him. Gibbs, who had just taken another sip of his drink, choked. "We know where it's going to be, and we're going to take it." Jack continued, ignoring Gibbs' reaction.  
>"Jack, it's a fool's errand!" Gibbs was shaking his head. "Why you twos know better than me the tales of the <em>Black Pearl<em>." His gaze flickered between the two of us.  
>"That's why we know what Barbossa is up to." I told him. Beside me, Jack nodded.<br>"Aye. All we need is a crew." He confirmed.  
>"From what I hear tell of Captain Barbossa, he's not a man to suffer fools nor strike a bargain with them."<br>"Well then I'd say it's a very good thing we're not fools then, eh?" Jack grinned, and Gibbs frowned.  
>"Prove me wrong. What makes you think Barbossa will give up his ship to you?"<br>"Let's just say it's a matter of leverage, eh?" Gibbs frowned, unsure of what I meant, so Jack nodded his head in the direction of the lad. Gibbs shook his head, still not following, and so Jack repeated the motion until Gibbs looked over and settled his gaze on Will. He turned back to us.  
>"The kid?" We nodded.<br>"That is the child of Bootstrap Bill Turner. His _only_ child. Savvy?" Jack grinned.  
>"Is he now?" Gibbs looked back over to where Will was being harassed by a rather large lady who was then taken away by some frail man I assumed to be her partner. Gibbs watched for a moment, then looked back at us, grinning. "Leverage, says you. I think I feel a change in the wind, says I. I'll find us a crew. There's bound to be some sailors on this rock crazy as you."<br>"One can only hope." Jack said, then raised his mug. "Take what you can!"  
>"Give nothin' back!" Gibbs finished. We all grinned as we banged out mugs together and downed the last of their contents, slamming them back on the table. Suddenly there was a loud clatter and we looked over to where the lad had just pushed over a table and was pointing his sword at the people standing around. For once, the tavern was completely silent. He looked over at us, seemingly wondering why we were not joining him. "Kid's a bit of a stick isn't he?" Gibbs muttered quietly.<br>"You've no idea." I sighed, rolling my eyes, fervently hoping that he would not prove to be too much of a liability.

We followed through with Jack's plan to have 'just the one' drink that night, and so we were able to wake up early the next morning. Jack, the lad and I had spent the night on the _Interceptor_, and as we rowed back to the dock we could already see a fair-sized group of sailors lined up with Gibbs.  
>"Feast your eyes, Captains." Gibbs, now in the position of our first mate, addressed us as we stepped onto the wooden dock. "All of them, faithful hands before the mast. Every man worth his salt, and crazy to boot." We walked down the line, mentally assessing each and every one of them. None of them looked particularly special.<br>"So this is your able-bodied crew?" Will muttered. I turned to him.  
>"Have you ever heard that you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover?" I asked him. He did not reply, but his facial expression told me that he had, indeed, heard that concept. Jack decided to answer the lad's question his own way, walking further down the line to stop in front of a man who had a parrot perched on his shoulder.<br>"You, sailor!"  
>"Cotton, sir." Gibbs informed him.<br>"Mr Cotton, do you have the courage and fortitude to follow orders and stay true in the face of danger and almost certain death?" The man did not reply, instead glancing over to Gibbs. "Mr Cotton! Answer, man!" Jack growled, and Gibbs hastily stepped forwards.  
>"He's a mute, sir." He explained. "Poor devil had his tongue cut out, so he trained the parrot to talk for him."<br>"How?" I frowned, doing my best not to grimace at the sight of Cotton opening his mouth to show that he did, in fact, have no tongue.  
>"No one's yet figured how." Gibbs shook his head.<br>"Mr Cotton's parrot." Jack took a step further to place himself in front of the bird, who looked at him, seemingly standing to attention. "Same question."  
>"Wind in your sails! Wind in your sails!" The parrot squawked.<br>"Mostly, we figure that means 'yes'." Gibbs told us.  
>"Of course it does." I nodded, slowly, still wondering how the man had trained the parrot.<br>"Satisfied?" Jack turned to Will, who glanced quickly up and down the line with an exasperated look on his face.  
>"Well you've proved they're mad." He hissed. We looked at the sailors before us, until a familiar voice from further down the line called out.<br>"And what's the benefit for us?" Jack glanced at me, then walked down to where the voice had come from, Will and I following. The sailor one away from the end of the line wore a hat with a large rim which was pulled low over their face. Jack lifted the rim and then removed the hat.  
>"Anamaria!" He grinned, and she greeted him with a sharp slap across his face.<br>"I suppose you didn't deserve that one either." Will said, remembering the wenches from the previous night.  
>"No, that one I deserved." Jack nodded, somewhat sheepishly, as I grimaced, knowing full well why it was deserved.<br>"You stole my boat!" The woman shouted as Jack turned back to face her.  
>"Actually…" he started, but before he could utter another word she gave him another slap. "Borrowed. Borrowed without permission." He turned back to her. "But with every intention of bringing it back to you."<br>"But you didn't!"  
>"It would be kind of hard seeing as how it sank." She turned to glare at me. "But if you want it back all that much, feel free to go and get it. It's just underneath the dock in Port Royal." She raised her hand, but before she could bring it to my face, Jack grabbed her wrist.<br>"You'll get another one." He told her, trying to calm her. She turned her glare from me to him, freeing her wrist and pointing at him. Jack cowered, clearly anticipating another slap.  
>"I will." She spat.<br>"A better one." The lad stepped forwards, and Jack grinned.  
>"A better one!" He repeated.<br>"That one."  
>"What one?" Jack asked, and we both followed Will's gaze out to the <em>Interceptor<em>. "That one?" Jack turned back to face Will, frowning. The lad just looked at him, his eyes asking whether Jack had any better ideas. He didn't. Reluctantly, he turned back to Anamaria. "Aye. That one." He pointed out to the ship. "What say you?"  
>"Aye!" she cried, and the rest of the sailors voiced their agreement before turning to walk down the dock and pile into various longboats.<br>"Anchor's aweigh!" the parrot squawked as they went.  
>"No, no, no. It's frightful bad luck to bring a woman aboard, sir." Gibbs grinned nervously, then caught sight of my raised eyebrow. "A woman with a grudge." He hastily attempted to correct himself, and my lips twitched as I attempted to hold back a grin. He breathed out in relief as he realised that I wasn't annoyed at him.<br>"It'd be far worse not to have her." Jack told him, then put his arm around my shoulders and led me off to the longboats, Gibbs and Will following.

Once on the ship, we set the crew to work and set sail. As the sky darkened prematurely, I frowned and turned to Jack.  
>"There's a storm coming." I cast another look at the sky. "And not a little one either." If we had still had the <em>Pearl<em> I would not have worried, but the _Interceptor_ was untested; we did not know how she would fare in such a storm. Jack followed my gaze up to the darkening sky, frowning, and I could see him thinking exactly the same.  
>"We'll keep going as long as we can. If it gets too dangerous we'll find somewhere to wait for it to pass." I nodded my agreement, knowing that it was the best we could do. Risky, but we couldn't afford to wait around if we had any chance of making it through the storm. The sooner we could reach the Isla de Muerta and bargain with Barbossa, the better.<p>

By the time night came, the rain was lashing down, the thunder and lightning so loud you had to shout to talk to the person next to you, and the raging sea throwing the ship around. Jack had taken over from Gibbs at the helm to bring us through this, and I stood next to him, gripping onto the railings as a large wave crashed over us. As the water slipped back into the ocean, Gibbs clambered up the steps, staggering to keep his balance somewhat unsuccessfully.  
>"We should drop canvas!" He called out.<br>"She can hold a bit longer." Jack dismissed the notion.  
>"What's in your head as puts you in such a fine mood, Cap'n?" He asked Jack, who grinned, and I knew instantly what his next words would be.<br>"We're catching up."


End file.
